St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-19

but that the object moved. The wretched
specimen of humanity must have had
the eyesight of an owl or a mole to see
i'll such den.
docs NJ. Victor live here?"
ION the sixth floor, at the end of the
corridor to the right"
us he or his wife at homer"
mo"
"There's no one in, then?n
mo"
"In that case, what's the good of tell
ing me he lives on the sixth tioor?'
You ask me if he lives here. / tell
you where he lives"
While it spoke the murky object con-
tnued to prowl about its haunt.
You are sure he is out?''
Il tell you his little boy, on returning
from school, didn't find him at home.
He's at the fruit-dealer's, next door,
waiting for his father OF mother to
RETURN
What does the mother do?"
Don't know; goes out to workI sup
pose"
Can you tell me where she; works?'''
ASK the frult-dealer" 5
This dialogue took up fully five. min
utes, the lively object | questioned
being deaf or unable rightly to under
derStand what | said. | had to put each
question twice over, and even then did
not receive an immediate answer. for
the weird creature seemeds9t0 ponder
and ruminate and hunts about after
some undiScOverable Object in-the dark
ness of the den. Had alright, been
struck, operations in the black hole
might have been expedited; and |
should have had an opportutitJsto make
out the sex of the taciturn, nolidescript,
which the grumbling tune of The voice
failed utterly to disclose doubtless
the strange being cherished above all
the darkness of its abode, darkness so
thick, abiding and complete that, while
l stood there peering into it, / was quite
unable to fathom its depth or penetrate
its mysteries; and even to-day, that the
scene recurs after the lapse of SO many
years, am at loss to make out what
difference there is between death ana a
life so circumStanced.
entered the fruiterer's shop which,
at that late hour, was without a custO-
mer. Both husband and wife were
having their meal by the dim light of a
smoky lamp, which Sketched their
figures like Il couple of Chinese shadows
on the green paneS of the glass partition
in the back ground. Pie boy, who was
iolsted on sack of potatoes munching
an apple, had been appointed to keep
Sharp watch over the store. knew
him at once for Victor's child. On hear
ing my footstep the herb woman came
from behind the partition.
Don't disturb yourself, madame"
SAID, I've only come to ask this little
fellow where L may meet his dad"
Ills father is probably out on some
GRAND" replied the fruiterer's wife, as
She wiped her mouth with the corner of
a thick brown cotton apron, and placing
her large hands on her broad hips she
added: ''He usually gets back earlier, as
also the boys mother When the little
fellow comes home from school and they
are still out he comes round here and
waits till they return"
Where does the mother work?'' |
asked.
at BatiSnolles, but | don't know the
house. Is it to do All errand that you
want Monsieur Victor?" | noticed that,
like my self, she failed to qualify him as
citizen Victor.
YES" | added.
''1f you will give me your name and
address, Sir, he shall call on you as soon
as he returns.''
THAT" said, sis quite unnecessary
have something to attend to myself
and will be back here presently" Then,
drawing close up to the woman, asked
her in an undertone: Victor is a man
to be trusted with money, is lie not?"
She answered in the Affirmative "Vie-
tor was honesty itself and would be the
last man in the world to wrong even. NJ.
de l,otllschild ofa single sou.'
"1liank you, madame"
GOOD night, monsieur"
That Victor was honesty pcrsonified,
and that he was the last man to do an
unworthy deed, | was myself convinced
until quarter to 4, or even until 5
O'Clock. allowing him as much line
as possible, and all the time neces-
Silry TO go from house to house, as far
as the Bank of France to get the equiv
alent for my note; but beyond that hour,
now that knew the money was in his
possession. and alive to the fact that he
had come back neither to my house nor
his own, my conviction had somewhat
given way, and | heard a sly voice
whisper banteringly as turned away:
1t has taken wings, your yellow-tinted
note; 1t has taken wings to fly await"
SO long delay was, in fact, unaccOunt-
able. 1T must be a theft" l muttercd,
cor attributable TO an accident" Soon
as the idea Of a possible accident oc-
CURED to me the suggestion of the jeer-
ing voice was oVcrlaid. So, starting off
OIL this new tack, with the imagination
of a romancer and future dramatic
oughly TO Sift both sides of mooted
question, gave myself up to the con-
vlaion that some accident must have
Overtaken the man.
pictured to myself his hitherto un-
fiincling SteadiIeSS and punctuality, his
Woodworking life and opeii-handed deal
illgs; | recalled to mind that he had
served with credit as a soldier, that he
had been granted a medal licensing him
asa messenger, that he had wife who
worked in workshop, Il child always
neat and clean. whom he seemed to
adore and whom he had once or twice
brought round to me, full of pride at
the little white metal cross given the
boy for good conduct at school. When
l reflected on this, and in spite of Gle
ment Thomas assertion that we were
wrong to place reliance on such vain
conccitS, could not bring myself to
admit that Victor had so suddenly
turned into q vulgar and foolish thief.
What profit could he derive by appro-
priating TO himself two hundred
francs? My reflection thcrsup0n took
middle course and scttIoIEs at some
thing between theft and accident. Per-
maps lie had met with compartments; they
iii'u TAKEN 1rSt one glass, Glcn another,
and driftcd into regular drinking bout.
\ part Of tie sum belonging to me had
bcen sprilt. to make up for which Vic
tor was now running to right and left,
gathering in what little AMOUNTS might
bc due To him and borrowing the rest.
Or, perclance, he had spent so much of
the origina! proceeds that lie did not
dare 10 bring back what remained; he
would return averrng that he had lost
til: laeney. aud offer to 60 on scrubbing
my hoors until he had made up for the
deficiency. Bat what if had really lost
the money? Perhaps he had been
robbed and YVES now wandering about
the streets, rctracing his steps along the
he, -, H.